


Recovery

by Pandora151



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Dex's Donuts, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Injury Recovery, Lineage, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26291197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandora151/pseuds/Pandora151
Summary: All that mattered was this—Obi-Wan was home.  It would take him time to find himself again, to recover completely, but his family was by his side, and that was all that mattered.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Dexter Jettster & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Vokara Che & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 27
Kudos: 223
Collections: 2020 Obi-Wan Kenobi Gen Exchange





	Recovery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [apricae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/apricae/gifts).



> Hello hello! :)
> 
> This fic is for apricae, for the Obi-Wan Kenobi Gen Exchange. I hope you like it! I started writing this expecting it to be not _that_ long, but then I just kept adding more and more stuff, and...here we are.
> 
> Also, there's a very slight tie-in to the fic I wrote last year for this exchange, [Of Progress and Promises](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20470826), but you don't need to read that to understand this.
> 
> Enjoy!

“That’s it?”

Master Che’s brows raised. “Well, yes,” she answered, glancing at her datapad. “You will have to stay off that leg while it heals naturally. There is really no need for you to stay here for that.”

Obi-Wan blinked.

He didn’t really expect to be let out of the Halls so soon, not when everything felt so _off_. Something inside of him felt hollow, almost beyond reach, and the sudden freedom was really unexpected, considering that.

Zigoola had broken him in more ways than one, but it seemed as though the damage was all somewhere inside of him, which meant that it was beyond the Healers’ abilities.

“I see,” he replied, looking down, away from the Master Healer’s pensive gaze. 

“I’ll arrange for some crutches for you to use in the meantime, but I do not want you to be on your feet for more than an hour a day, understood?” Master Che shut off her datapad and placed it on the counter.

Obi-Wan nodded, slumping back slightly into his pillows as the Healer stood up.

“Just remember that my offer from before still stands,” Master Che said, voice quiet. “You do not need to go through this alone, Obi-Wan.”

“I know.” His voice cracked, and he sighed, unable to meet her gaze. “I need to think about all of this. Everything is so…different.”

_I’m different._

He couldn’t find the Light, not in the same way he was able to before. It was as though something had ripped it away from his mind, leaving it broken and bleeding. Meditation was practically impossible—even using the Force seemed to take a lot more effort than before, often leaving him with a blinding headache.

“I understand,” Master Che replied. “Take as much time as you need to decide.”

Obi-Wan nodded again, though he knew that doing what Che was suggesting would be near-impossible, when he was clearly just beyond repair at this point.

“I do have one more condition,” Master Che continued. “You cannot stay in your quarters by yourself. I already spoke to your former padawan; he’ll be here to pick you up. You will stay with him and Padawan Tano for the next three weeks.”

“I can manage on my own,” Obi-Wan protested, voice feeble. The last thing he needed was Anakin and Ahsoka seeing him like this. It would all just be…too much for him.

 _Everything_ was already too much for him.

“You can, but that doesn’t mean you should,” Che replied. 

Her eyes softened, and Obi-Wan suddenly felt distinctly uncomfortable. The fact that Master Che could guess exactly what he was thinking and feeling was disconcerting, to say the least.

“What you’ve been through on that planet, Obi-Wan, is a trauma unlike any other. You need to be around familiar faces, not sitting by yourself in your apartment. You need _stability_ ,” the Master Healer insisted. “My word is final. You are staying with them.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, sinking back into his pillows. He was too tired to protest now. Everything was just too much.

“I am going to get you some crutches and supplies,” Master Che said, voice quieter than before.

Obi-Wan heard her walk out of the room, leaving him alone. As soon as he heard the door close, he tilted his head up towards the ceiling and breathed.

He was glad to be back in the Temple, of course he was. But he could hardly recognize anything now, let alone himself. Any time he tried to sleep, he found himself back in Zigoola’s hellish landscape, hearing the voices chanting incessantly in his mind, over and over and over and—

_Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi…_

Obi-Wan forced his eyes open, curling his fingers into tight fists.

He couldn’t afford to dwell on Zigoola any longer—right now, he needed to let it go, release it into the Force. Anakin and Ahsoka needed him, his men needed him, the Council needed him…hell, the _galaxy_ needed him.

But how could he let it go when he could hear the voice echoing through his mind, when he could feel the darkness literally seeping into his presence, blotting out the light?

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan reached for his commlink from where it sat on the counter next to the bed. He probably had hundreds of messages to sift through, considering he’d been in and out of consciousness since he left Zigoola a week ago.

It was just too much.

The door slid open, and Obi-Wan put the commlink on his lap, expecting to see Master Che return with his crutches.

Instead, he saw Anakin walk in, followed by a smiling Ahsoka. Something in his stomach tightened at the sight of them.

“They’re finally letting you out of here?” Anakin asked in greeting. Though his words were light, Obi-Wan could hear the undercurrent of worry in his voice.

“I believe so,” Obi-Wan replied. “Master Che is just getting some supplies. Once she returns, I should be ready to go.”

Ahsoka grinned, her eyes lighting up with the sort of joy that made Obi-Wan’s chest ache.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift again, not deep enough for meditation or sleep, but not aware enough to have to continue the conversation. He was just too tired, too _exhausted_ to even do that.

The door sliding open brought him out of his stupor.

Master Che held a set of crutches in one hand and a paper bag in another. “Good, you’re both here,” she said to Anakin and Ahsoka, propping the crutches against the side of Obi-Wan’s bed.

Then, she turned to Obi-Wan.

“Are you ready?”

 _No_.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied.

He had no choice but to be ready.

* * *

Anakin knew that something had happened on Obi-Wan’s most recent mission, but he had no idea what it was.

All he knew was that Master Che had asked him to have Obi-Wan stay with him and Ahsoka after he was discharged from the Halls. When Anakin asked, the Master Healer mentioned that while Obi-Wan was healing well physically, she was concerned about other things.

Anakin didn’t completely understand that, but he nodded anyways.

He would always be there for Obi-Wan, no matter what.

The journey back from the Halls to Anakin and Ahsoka’s quarters was spent in silence. Anakin found himself standing next to Obi-Wan, who limped slowly on his crutches, eyes fixed on the floor in deep concentration.

On Obi-Wan’s other side, Ahsoka was frowning. Anakin knew that she had first been excited that Obi-Wan was going to stay with them, but now it seemed that the excitement had changed into some sort of worry.

When they were in the lift, Obi-Wan sighed, leaning back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling, as though he forgot Anakin and Ahsoka were there.

Anakin opened his mouth, found that he couldn’t think of anything to say, and closed it.

When the lift’s doors opened, Obi-Wan was the first one through. They walked down the corridor to the apartment in silence, and then Anakin typed in the passcode, allowing the door to slide open.

Obi-Wan limped inside, and Anakin put the bag of meds that Master Che had given him on the side table. Ahsoka stood next to him, looking as though she had no idea what to do.

Anakin could relate to that.

“You can take my bed, Master. Snips and I can share,” he said. He expected Obi-Wan to protest, as he usually did with these things, but instead, Obi-Wan nodded slowly in agreement.

The three of them stood in awkward silence for a few moments, until Obi-Wan turned slowly and made his way towards Anakin’s bedroom, his crutches tapping quietly against the floor. Anakin frowned, surprised that Obi-Wan hadn’t said a single word since before they left the Halls.

“Master?” he called, and Obi-Wan turned slowly, his eyes focusing on something above Anakin’s head. “Do you want to watch a holo or something?”

Obi-Wan blinked slowly, eyebrows furrowing.

“No, I—” Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “I think I just need to sleep. I’m tired.”

And then, he turned around and walked into Anakin’s bedroom, leaving him and Ahsoka standing alone in the common area of the apartment.

Ahsoka let out a breath. “Well, that was…I don’t think I’ve ever heard Master Obi-Wan admit out loud that he was tired,” she said, shifting slightly on her feet.

“No,” Anakin replied. “Me neither.”

But Obi-Wan _did_ look tired—there were those shadows under his eyes and a heaviness set in his shoulders, which was really odd to see because Obi-Wan had just been discharged from the Halls.

“Let’s just give him some time and space,” Anakin said. “We don’t know what happened. Maybe Obi-Wan just needs to process a bit.”

Ahsoka nodded slowly. “Okay.”

And so, they waited.

* * *

One week later, things were both worse and better at the same time.

Obi-Wan barely talked to them, but he didn’t spend all of his time alone. In fact, he did sit with Anakin and Ahsoka for meals, though Anakin noted with concern that Obi-Wan spent most of the time pushing the food on his plate around with a fork, instead of actually eating.

Besides that, Ahsoka made it a point to ask Obi-Wan for help with homework, in what Anakin knew was an effort to spend more time with her Grandmaster. Obi-Wan seemed to see the effort for what it was, but he didn’t seem to mind, so Ahsoka kept asking.

However, for all that Obi-Wan claimed that he needed to sleep, it seemed as though he was hardly sleeping at all. He didn’t really smile or laugh, either.

It was almost as though…

Anakin frowned.

He remembered after his first few weeks as Obi-Wan’s padawan, probably only a few weeks after Master Qui-Gon’s death, the plan that he and Bant had come up with. At the time, he remembered not seeing Obi-Wan smile or laugh at all, much like he was now.

He and Bant had worked with Obi-Wan’s other friends to plan a surprise birthday party. It hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but…their plan was a success, because Obi-Wan had smiled then. Anakin remembered the joy he felt in the Force then, even through the grief that Obi-Wan had to have been struggling with.

But the source of Obi-Wan’s struggle was so clear back then—he was mourning Qui-Gon, after all.

Now, it was not so clear. Anakin had no idea what was wrong, and he had no way of finding out. Even if he did, he was sure Obi-Wan would pull even further away from him, and that…that wouldn’t do.

He wanted to _help_ him, not cause him any more pain.

Bant and all of Obi-Wan’s other childhood friends were not at the Temple right now, so it wasn’t like Anakin could call them to plan _another_ surprise party. Not that it would work anyways, considering how busy everyone was with the war.

“Master?”

Anakin blinked as Ahsoka’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, quiet and thoughtful. He looked up from where he sat at the kitchen table to see her leaning against the cooling unit, mug in hand.

“Yeah, Snips?” he replied.

Ahsoka sighed, looking a bit conflicted.

“I don’t…Master Obi-Wan still doesn’t seem okay,” she said, looking into the contents of her mug. “I’m a bit worried.”

Anakin nodded. “That’s what I was just thinking, too. I just wish some of his friends were here in the Temple; he always did enjoy seeing them,” he said, thinking back to that birthday party.

“What if we go out of the Temple tomorrow?” Ahsoka asked. “We haven’t eaten out for lunch in a while.”

Anakin blinked, and then the realization struck him at that exact moment.

“Ahsoka, you are a _genius_!” he exclaimed, jumping up out of his chair.

Ahsoka’s brow markings rose. “I am?” she asked, and then she grinned. “I’m glad you finally admitted it, Skyguy, but why are you saying it now?”

“You’ll see, Snips,” he replied, smiling back at her. “You shall see.”

And just like that, Anakin knew that this would work—that Obi-Wan would start to find himself again, and there would be hope and stability in his presence.

All he needed was to make one comm call, and then, everything else would easily fall into place afterwards.

“Just make sure you don’t mention this to Obi-Wan, alright? He won’t agree to it if he knows about it ahead of time,” Anakin said, pulling out his commlink.

Ahsoka nodded. “Okay, I won’t say anything. But Master, I still don’t understand what’s going on,” she said.

“I’ll explain in a minute. Just need to make a call.”

Anakin dialed, and when the line connected, his smile grew even wider.

_“Dex Jettster here, how can I help ya?”_

“Hey, Dex,” Anakin exclaimed. It was good to speak to him—Anakin couldn’t even remember the last time he’d spoken to Dex. It was probably before the war started, now that he thought about it.

_“Ani! My goodness, it’s been forever. How are ya?”_

“I’m doing well; thanks, Dex,” he replied. “Listen, do you have a minute to talk? I need to ask you for a favor.”

Anakin looked up at Ahsoka, whose eyes were bright and curious. She probably had no idea who Dex was, but that would change very soon.

“It’s about Obi-Wan.”

And with those words, the plan was set into motion.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He’d been trying to sleep for over three hours now, but every time he closed his eyes, the voices came back, and he would feel like he was _there_ all over again. He would feel the darkness coiling itself around him, and he would force his eyes open, heart racing and head pounding.

Night after night, it was all he saw, all he felt.

During the day, he would try to act normal, but he was usually just too tired to keep up pretenses, and he knew that Anakin and Ahsoka were concerned. Even when he agreed to help Ahsoka with her homework, he could see the concern in her eyes.

A few nights ago, he’d decided to take one of the sleeping pills from the bottle that Master Che had provided him before he left the Halls. He did end up falling asleep for almost three hours before he found himself on Zigoola _again_ , alone this time, the voices screaming in his ears.

He’d woken up with a scream dying in his throat, chest heaving, with the taste of blood on his lips.

At that point, he’d decided against trying to take the sleeping pills again, instead finding himself struggling to meditate to center himself every night.

It didn’t work; of course it didn’t.

This led him to where he was now, staring up at the ceiling of Anakin’s bedroom, equally hoping for and dreading sleep. Obi-Wan wished his mind would just let him forget, even for just a few hours. He wished he was able to feel the Force a bit more keenly than he could, because Zigoola seemed to have stripped him of the Light.

And all that remained was…

A quiet knock sounded on the door, and before Obi-Wan could say anything, it was opening.

“Anakin?” he asked, squinting up at his former Padawan, who stood in the doorway, eyebrows creased into a frown. “What is it?”

Obi-Wan heard Anakin sigh, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

“Can we talk?” Anakin asked, sitting down at the edge of the bed, near Obi-Wan’s feet. Now that he was closer, Obi-Wan could see the concern lighting up in his eyes, even brighter than normal.

Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan nodded.

“You’re not alright, Obi-Wan. Something happened on that mission, and you won’t talk to me about it,” Anakin said, voice shaking.

“Anakin, I’m fine—”

“Don’t lie to me, Master.” Anakin’s voice shook. “If you don’t want to talk to me about it, I get it. But you need to talk to _someone_. Because you’re not acting like yourself.”

Obi-Wan felt his throat close up, and his mind whirled, refusing to provide him with the words to respond. He didn’t know what to say, or even how to tell Anakin whatever he needed to hear to make this stop.

He swallowed, staring up at the ceiling.

This was too much— _all_ of it. Obi-Wan knew that he wasn’t acting like himself, and he supposed that Anakin would eventually confront him about it, but…he didn’t expect it to be like this.

“Anyways, that’s not exactly why I’m here,” Anakin said, bringing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. “I was thinking you could use a change of scenery, after being cooped up in the Temple for almost two weeks. Ahsoka and I were planning on going around Coruscant tomorrow, maybe even get some lunch.”

The thought of leaving the Temple, even though he couldn’t get around that easily with his crutches, did seem nice. It would be a nice distraction from everything else, at least. Obi-Wan nodded slowly.

“Are you up for it?” Anakin asked quietly. “It won’t be anything too crazy. I’ll even make sure to drive below the speed limit this time.”

Obi-Wan huffed out a laugh and nodded again.

“A _lot_ slower,” Obi-Wan said, voice rasping slightly. He cleared his throat, swallowing and looking directly at Anakin again.

“Good,” Anakin replied, smiling softly. “Now, is it alright if I give you a sleep suggestion?”

Obi-Wan nodded again, carefully moving himself until he lied on his side, his leg throbbing slightly with the movement.

He heard Anakin shift closer, and then there was a hand on his shoulder.

A quiet voice, and the Force shifted, before everything melted away into nothingness.

And so, Obi-Wan slept.

* * *

Ahsoka had never really seen Anakin quite this excited about anything, even though she only just became his Padawan over a month ago. He was up earlier than normal, bouncing around on his feet, typing furiously on his commlink.

Surprisingly enough, Obi-Wan wasn’t awake and out of his room as early as usual. Anakin seemed to be pretty happy about that—he was even more happy when he peeked his head into the bedroom to see Obi-Wan still sleeping.

Ahsoka found herself helping Anakin with renting out a Temple speeder, making a reservation for later on that morning, and getting breakfast from the refectory.

By the time she returned to the apartment with three trays of breakfast, Obi-Wan was sitting quietly at the kitchen table, sipping at a mug of tea while Anakin bounced around, clearly excited.

When she walked in, Obi-Wan smiled lightly. “Good morning, Padawan,” he greeted, putting down his mug on the table. His crutches were propped on the table next to him, just by his elbow.

“Good morning,” Ahsoka replied. She set the trays on the table and sat down next to Obi-Wan.

Anakin grinned and sat down across from her, almost vibrating in his seat.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan sighed, “do try to contain your excitement. This is just a simple outing, right?” Ahsoka heard the flash of nervousness in his voice, hidden below the surface, along with the quiet sadness she’d felt since he left the Halls.

“Of course, Master,” Anakin replied, though he kept smiling.

The three of them ate in silence. Ahsoka found herself digging in eagerly, considering the fact that she was eating actual food, instead of the bland ration bars she had to live off of whenever she was away from Coruscant.

Real, actual food was a _treat_.

As she ate, Ahsoka glanced up at Anakin, who was shoveling into his food with his usual energy, almost moaning in appreciation.

Obi-Wan, on the other hand, picked at his food, using his fork to move things around his plate. Despite that, it did look like he was eating more than he normally did because Ahsoka saw the food slowly disappearing from his tray.

She looked back at Anakin.

“So where are we going exactly?” she asked. She knew part of the answer, but it seemed as though there was something else she was missing.

“Just somewhere,” Anakin replied, voice muffled by the food in his mouth. He swallowed. “It’s gonna be great; don’t worry about it, Snips.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he sighed, slowly moving his chair back and reaching for one of the crutches.

“I got it,” Anakin said, reaching for Obi-Wan’s half-empty plate. “I’ll put this in the cooling unit for later, alright?” Before Obi-Wan could respond, Anakin was standing up with Obi-Wan’s plate and walking towards the cooling unit.

Ahsoka looked down at her empty plate, sighing in satisfaction. Then, she stood up to help Anakin clear the table.

With the kitchen cleared, Anakin seemed to be even more excited than before. Obi-Wan seemed outwardly amused by Anakin’s excitement, but all Ahsoka could sense from him in the Force was a sort of tension.

“Are we all set to go, then?” she asked, giving Anakin a pointed look.

Anakin deflated slightly and nodded. “You rented us one of those big speeders, right, Snips?”

At Ahsoka’s nod, Anakin grinned.

“Obi-Wan, are you ready to go?” he asked, turning towards her Grandmaster.

Obi-Wan was still sitting at the kitchen table, but it seemed as though he wasn’t even listening to the conversation. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, eyebrows pulled into a deep frown. Ahsoka felt worry twist in her stomach at the sight, at the realization that something was still _wrong_.

The Force shuddered, and Ahsoka resisted the urge to shiver in response.

“Hey, Ahsoka, do you think you could head over to the hangar and get the speeder warmed up?” Anakin asked, and Ahsoka turned back to him, protests at the ready.

Before she could even respond, Anakin raised his eyebrows, giving her a significant look. That told her everything she needed to know—it would be best if Anakin and Obi-Wan talked alone right now.

She nodded.

“Okay,” she said, nodding slowly at her Master. “Let me know when you’re on the way.”

And then she left the apartment, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan alone.

* * *

“ _Obi-Wan_.”

Obi-Wan blinked at the sound of Anakin’s voice, coming from right in front of him. He looked up, realizing that Anakin had probably been trying to get his attention for a while now, considering the worried pull of his eyebrows.

“Anakin,” he replied. His voice shook.

A quick glance around the kitchen told him that Ahsoka had left at some point, and Obi-Wan didn’t even realize it. He didn’t even remember when exactly he’d lost focus. Everything felt so normal for a moment, and then he heard the whispering again, the cold and dark getting closer and closer to him.

And he could barely push it away, broken as he was.

Obi-Wan forced in a shuddering breath through lungs that barely cooperated, and then he exhaled slowly, curling his fingers into a fist. His head pounded and pounded with each whisper, causing him to wince.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin repeated, and he was sitting down where Ahsoka was sitting while they were eating just minutes ago, eyes wide. “Are you alright?”

_Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi, Die Jedi…_

_“Focus on the present, the here and now—”_

Obi-Wan sucked in a breath, closing his eyes and leaning forward until his head rested on the cool surface of the table. He felt a hand on his shoulder, grounding him, and then the Force sighed as Anakin’s blazing presence surrounded his own.

He breathed.

“Obi-Wan.” Anakin’s voice was quieter than before, containing none of the overwhelming excitement from before, but a surprising calmness that Obi-Wan found himself appreciating. “What do you need?”

His chest heaved, nausea crawling up his throat. Obi-Wan swallowed, feeling his shoulders tremble under Anakin’s hand.

“Just—” he rasped, squeezing his eyes shut. “Just need a minute.”

A minute—that should be enough. He just needed to find the Light, find a way to control himself once again.

He might be broken, but broken things could be fixed.

With that thought, he continued breathing, and the Force lightened up as the voices slowly disappeared, leaving him half-prone on the table, sweating. His head was still pounding, but he felt more centered now—definitely a lot more like himself.

“Master?” Anakin tried, and Obi-Wan sat up slowly, pressing a hand to the bridge of his nose.

His vision swam, and he felt himself sink back into the chair, shivering slightly.

“Master, do I need to call Master Che?” Anakin asked, voice just as quiet as before.

“No,” Obi-Wan murmured, and he opened his eyes again to see Anakin frowning at him in concern. “No Healers. Just…give me a minute.”

He saw Anakin nod sharply before he closed his eyes again, focusing on his breathing. The Force settled around him, a warmth that he found himself leaning onto, a stability against his wavering soul.

Obi-Wan sighed, letting the tension slip out of his shoulders. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Anakin was watching him carefully, eyes wide.

“Are you alright?” Anakin asked softly.

Obi-Wan swallowed, and then, slowly, he shook his head. “I will be,” he croaked. “I have to be, sooner rather than later.”

“Do you…” Anakin’s voice trailed off, uncertain. “Do you want to talk about it?”

_No._

“Not now,” Obi-Wan replied hoarsely. “I need time to think.”

Anakin nodded in response, biting his lip. “Do you still want to go outside of the Temple today? I sent Ahsoka to the hangar to get our speeder prepped, but I can call her back,” he rambled, drumming the fingers of his mech hand on the table.

“Of course,” Obi-Wan answered, smiling softly. “You were right, earlier—a change of pace would be nice.”

The Force warmed with Anakin’s smile, and Obi-Wan found the remaining coldness inside of his chest easing ever so slightly. He exhaled slowly.

When Master Che had first told him that he would have to stay with Anakin and Ahsoka over the next few weeks, Obi-Wan had been completely against it, mostly because he hadn’t wanted either of them to see him like…this.

But despite that, Obi-Wan found himself appreciating the fact that he _wasn’t_ alone right now—that he could laugh at Anakin’s antics, smile at Ahsoka’s kindness and bright curiosity, and take comfort in the fact that they were both _there_ when he needed them the most.

Maybe that was what he truly needed to overcome this latest obstacle.

Anakin stood up from his chair, reaching for Obi-Wan’s crutches and handing them over. Obi-Wan took them gratefully and stood up, allowing the crutches to take his weight.

“I’ll let Ahsoka know we’re on the way,” Anakin said as they walked over to the apartment’s front door, typing a message on his commlink.

Then, together, they walked outside, and the Force sang softly with each step.

* * *

As Anakin promised, the drive through Coruscant’s morning traffic was at a speed that didn’t make Obi-Wan feel like he was going to lose his breakfast. Instead, Anakin drove at a moderate speed, something that Obi-Wan had previously thought was impossible.

“And to think I actually thought you didn’t even _know_ about the speed limit, Anakin,” Obi-Wan commented, leaning back comfortably in his seat. He breathed in deeply, already appreciating being outside for the first time in two weeks.

Coruscant was a city-planet, so the air wasn’t that fresh, but…it was definitely better than the recycled and slightly odd-smelling air of Anakin and Ahsoka’s quarters.

Anakin barked out a laugh. “How could I not know about it, Master?” he asked, turning the speeder with a precise gentleness that surprised both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. “You’re always reminding me of it, after all.”

From the back of the speeder, Ahsoka laughed, her joy bright in the Force.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t still crash, Master Kenobi,” she piped up, and Obi-Wan couldn’t help laughing as well.

Anakin huffed out a breath. “You two are _always_ teaming up against me,” he groaned, though Obi-Wan could see the smiling curling at the corners of his lips.

“Well, you do have a history of crashing almost everything that moves, Anakin,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

Anakin sighed dramatically, resulting in an even louder laugh from Ahsoka.

As they entered Coco Town from within the Senate District, Obi-Wan realized exactly where they were going.

It had been too long since he last visited Dex. Obi-Wan was pretty sure the last time he visited him was before the war started, probably when he was investigating Jango Fett right before Geonosis.

A part of him wished he was able to visit afterwards, but he never had the time to leave the Temple whenever he was on Coruscant, even when he was supposedly on leave. There was always a Council meeting or a war meeting or classes to teach or some other commitment.

As Anakin brought the speeder down into the parking lot, Obi-Wan smiled.

He was glad that Anakin thought of bringing him here. Dex was an old friend, for one thing, but more than that, Obi-Wan found himself noticing that being here, with the people he cared about, made him feel almost whole.

The speeder came to a smooth stop, and Obi-Wan pushed his door open, sliding out easily before pulling the crutches out after him.

As soon as he walked in, Obi-Wan was greeted with the familiar—almost comforting—smell of Dex’s cooking, along with lively, eccentric music. Obi-Wan spotted FLO wheeling around the dining area, tray of food in hand.

Ahsoka let out a pleased sound, looking around the diner with wide eyes. Anakin was grinning, his excitement bright and noticeable in the Force. Obi-Wan knew that the both of them were waiting for him to react, to say something, but Obi-Wan found himself swept up in all of it, especially with how the Force _sang_.

“Hey! Obi-Wan!”

Dex’s voice, coming from the kitchen’s entrance, brought Obi-Wan’s attention over to his friend. Dex was grinning as he lumbered through the crowded dining area, rubbing his hands on his greasy apron.

“Dex,” Obi-Wan replied, and he couldn’t help grinning as warmth gathered itself somewhere in his chest. As soon as Dex reached Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka, his eyes widened.

“What happened to ya, buddy?” Dex asked, gesturing towards the crutches and Obi-Wan’s right leg.

“Oh, just a lightsaber mishap,” Obi-Wan replied, voice light. “It probably looks worse than it actually is.”

From where he stood next to Obi-Wan, Anakin rolled his eyes, muttering something about understatements. Ahsoka giggled, and Dex raised his brows.

“Well, I suppose I gotta be careful now, don’t I?” Dex replied, and he stepped forward, bringing Obi-Wan into a gentle hug. Obi-Wan let out a laugh, hugging his friend back.

Dex pulled away slowly, and Obi-Wan moved backwards, careful not to fall down or accidentally cause anyone else to trip over his crutches.

“When Ani called last night to say that the three of you would be stoppin’ by, I made sure to keep a table open,” Dex said, gesturing toward the empty booth at the far corner of the diner. “Go ahead, sit down. Hermione’ll be by to take your orders.”

“Thanks, Dex,” Anakin said, smiling brightly. 

Dex nodded and grinned in response before he started making his way back to the kitchen.

“Come on, old man.” Anakin’s voice was bright and teasing, and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes in response as Ahsoka laughed quietly.

Scoffing, Obi-Wan made his way over to the empty booth. “Need I remind you what happened just after your Knighting in the salles, Anakin?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Anakin sputtered, eyes widening. “You were _cheating_!” he exclaimed, following Obi-Wan to the table.

“Wait, what happened?” Ahsoka asked as Obi-Wan sat down and placed his crutches next to him.

His padawans sat down across from him, Anakin gesturing wildly around him as he recounted the story. Ahsoka listened with her usual bright intensity, smiling the whole time. Obi-Wan found himself swept up in the memory, his recent struggles temporarily forgotten.

It was nice to think about something else, to take comfort in the present, in the people who cared so much about him. Obi-Wan knew that it would take him time to find himself again, that he was still broken, but…

There was hope.

“And _then_ ,” Anakin said dramatically, “I turned around to check the time on my commlink, since Obi-Wan said that the round was over, but then he pulled a fast one on me and knocked me over!”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan sighed, smiling roguishly, “As a Jedi Knight, you should already know to never let your guard down. I was just making sure that you remembered that, since you were so interested in…other activities.”

“Well, I remember it _now_ ,” Anakin grumbled, making a face as Ahsoka burst out laughing, covering her face with her hands.

Hermione stopped by their table just then, datapad in hand. Anakin took over, quickly placing orders for blue milkshakes for the three of them, along with fiery Fornax rings, potato wedges, and mynock wings.

“Since we just ate breakfast, I figured we’d have some snacks,” Anakin said as Hermione walked away from the table.

Obi-Wan nodded, though he really wasn’t hungry at all, especially since he did manage to eat a decent amount during breakfast. He suspected that Anakin and Ahsoka would be able to handle eating most of the food, though. If not, the food would be packed and brought back to the Temple.

“Makes sense,” Ahsoka replied, nodding as well.

The three of them lapsed into silence then. Anakin drummed the fingers of his mech hand on the table while Ahsoka looked out the window, at the speeders that flew in and out of Coco Town. Obi-Wan sank back into his seat, taking in the sounds around him—the loud, excited voices, the music, and the joy.

The Force was bright with the sort of beauty that Obi-Wan had missed so much since Zigoola. A part of him thought he wouldn’t ever sense it again, but right now, in this moment…it was there.

He exhaled, scrubbing his hands over his face.

“I think—” he began, causing Anakin and Ahsoka to look up at him suddenly. Obi-Wan found himself looking down at the table, pulling the ends of his cloak closer together. “I _know_ you both are concerned. About what happened.”

Anakin and Ahsoka nodded simultaneously, and Obi-Wan smiled softly, letting the tension in his shoulders melt away.

“I am sorry about that,” he continued. “It’s been—difficult, these past few weeks.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Master,” Ahsoka piped up. “We just want you to be okay.”

Anakin’s eyes lowered to the fingers of his mech hand, which continued to drum nervously on the table.

“I haven’t seen you like this before, Obi-Wan,” he said, voice quiet.

Obi-Wan nodded. “I know. I think…” His voice trailed off as FLO arrived with their food and drinks, putting the plates down with a loud clatter. As soon as the plates of Fornax rings, potato wedges, and mynock wings were placed on the table, along with three tall glasses of blue milkshakes, FLO rolled away.

Although the food was sitting in front of them, ready to be eaten, no one moved.

“You were saying, Master?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and breathed out, forcing his gaze back down onto the table. “I think I need to speak to a mind healer,” he said, voice quiet. “Master Che had suggested it before I left the Halls, and I told her I’d think about it.”

Anakin nodded slowly, eyes bright. “If you think that’s what you need, Obi-Wan, then we’ll support you. You know that, right?”

Obi-Wan smiled. “Yes, I know,” he replied. “When I was away, on that planet, I felt darkness unlike anything I had ever felt before, and it was…more than I could handle at the time.” His fingers curled into a fist. “More than I _can_ handle, truthfully.”

He looked up, noticing that Ahsoka’s eyes were brimming with tears while Anakin looked at him steadily, his Force presence warm and light.

“But you’re here now,” Anakin said. “You got out of there, and you’ll find a way through this, just like you’ve done before, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan nodded, looking at the food in front of them. “Let’s eat,” he said. “The food will get cold, and then we’ll have to ask Dex for more.” He reached for a potato wedge and bit into it, feeling the warm flavors burst into his mouth.

As they ate, Ahsoka and Anakin talked about the time Ahsoka found Rex, Echo, Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase watching a holodrama in Anakin’s office on the _Resolute_. Anakin had been training in the salles the whole time, and the men knew that Anakin had access to the galaxy’s best soap operas.

Ahsoka said that upon learning from Rex that Anakin had a holodrama collection, she had laughed so much that she almost started crying on the spot.

Obi-Wan snorted, reaching for a mynock wing.

“Well, Anakin has been watching that _one_ show since it started when you were 10,” Obi-Wan pointed out, smiling brightly at Anakin. “What was it called again? It had something to do with—”

“Don’t say it,” Anakin muttered, carefully tearing apart his mynock wing.

“—Oh, yes, I remember now. It’s—”

“Obi-Wan!”

“You see, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan said, leaning across the table as though he was going to tell his Grandpadawan a secret, “There’s this show that has been running since _I_ was a padawan, called _Days of our Galaxy_ , and—”

Anakin’s hand covered his mouth just as Ahsoka let out a laugh, her joy bright in the Force.

“You both are _really_ teaming up against me,” Anakin complained, though there was a sparkle in his eye.

Obi-Wan was about to push Anakin’s hand away from his face, but then Dex arrived with a plate covered with a handkerchief, and Anakin’s hand disappeared.

“How’s it going?” Dex asked, smiling. “Enjoyin’ your food?”

Ahsoka nodded enthusiastically, taking the mynock wing from the plate. “This is so much better than rations,” she gushed.

“Glad to hear that,” Dex replied, laughing. “I have a special surprise, too.” He took their empty plates with two of his free hands, and then put down the covered plate at the center of their table. Then, he uncovered the plate.

Obi-Wan blinked.

“Oh, Dex, you didn’t have to do that,” he said quietly, looking up at his friend.

“’Course I had to,” Dex replied, voice gruff. “Who else is gonna eat all of these, huh?”

Obi-Wan laughed softly, looking directly at the plate of perfectly baked donuts in front of him.

Dex’s donuts were something of a specialty, a reminder of his origins. Obi-Wan remembered what Master Qui-Gon had told him about the donuts—that Dex had started his foray into Coruscant’s culinary scene by first opening a food stand with the use of a Crisp-E-O droid.

After Dex opened his diner, he brought the droid with him and continued to serve donuts there, along with the rest of his food. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon used to come to the diner frequently and eat muja-filled donuts, which were Qui-Gon’s favorite.

After Qui-Gon died, Dex never let Obi-Wan leave his diner without at least one muja-filled donut. It was a nice tradition—almost as though there was a part of Qui-Gon’s memory that was still with him, even so many years after his passing.

But now, seeing those muja-filled donuts again reminded Obi-Wan of that fact.

Qui-Gon may have joined the Force, but the Force was with him—even now. And no matter what, it would always be with him.

“Well, thank you, my friend,” Obi-Wan said, looking up at Dex. Dex knew what these donuts meant, that they were more than just a simple sweet treat that Obi-Wan enjoyed.

“Just enjoy, alright?” Dex replied, grinning back at him. “Oh, and don’t worry about paying a single credit for any of your food—it’s all on the house.”

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest, but Dex was already walking away, heading back into the kitchen.

Turning back to face his padawans, Obi-Wan gestured to the plate.

“Well, let’s eat,” he said—and so, they did.

By the time they finished eating, Anakin packed away the extra donuts for the three of them to finish later. Obi-Wan waved goodbye to Dex, and then they left.

Outside of the diner, Obi-Wan stopped, taking in a breath and looking around Coco Town.

“Master?” Anakin asked, stopping next to him. Ahsoka was standing on Anakin’s other side, looking up at him curiously.

Then, Obi-Wan turned and pulled Anakin into a hug with his right arm, reaching over to Ahsoka with his left. It was a bit awkward, considering he couldn’t put much pressure on his right leg and the crutches had immediately fallen down, but…it didn’t matter.

All that mattered was this—Obi-Wan was home. It would take him time to find himself again, to recover completely, but his family was by his side, and that was all that mattered.

“Thank you,” he murmured, voice muffled. “Thank you.”

* * *

After they returned to the Temple that afternoon, Anakin ventured to the hangar, deciding to work on upgrading some of R2’s specs. He also had been meaning to clean out some of the junk that had clogged some of R2’s ports.

By the time he finished, Anakin took R2 back with him to his quarters, letting his droid beep happily as they navigated the Temple’s corridors.

When he swung the apartment’s front door open, Anakin was greeted with the sight of Ahsoka sitting on the armchair, which was unusual because she always preferred sitting on the couch to stretch out her legs.

Anakin opened his mouth to speak, but then Ahsoka was shushing him and gesturing to the couch.

Anakin blinked.

Lying on the couch, fast asleep, was Obi-Wan. Anakin smiled softly, walking closer to Ahsoka, who smiled back at him.

 _“How long?”_ he signed, using the hand signals they typically used to communicate in the field, hoping that Ahsoka understood what he was trying to ask.

Ahsoka blinked, and then held up three fingers.

Obi-Wan had been sleeping for three hours. That was good— _really_ good.

It seemed as though the trip out of the Temple did wonders for Obi-Wan. Anakin was glad to see that, especially considering what had happened over the past few days.

He knew that it would take time, but no matter what, Anakin would stand by Obi-Wan. And he knew that Ahsoka would do the same.

And maybe—just maybe—they would all be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I just wanted to say that I used "Dining at Dex's" by Gregory Walker as a minor reference for this fic.
> 
> Thanks again, and please leave a comment on your way out! :)


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